Other suspended matter from air



Aug 24, 1943. E, J, HABER 2327,86

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING DUST AND OTHER SUSPENDED MATTER FROM AIR ANDOTHER GASES OR VAPORS Filed Sept. 14, 1940 1 A w INVEMOR EUGENE JENOHABER ATTO RNEYS I Patented Aug. 24, 1943 APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING DUSTAND OTHER SUSPENDED MATTER FROM AIR AND OTHER GASES OR VAPORS EugeneJenii Haber, Sanderstead, England, as-

signor to Matthews & Yates Limited, Swinton,

Manchester, England Application September 14, 1940, Serial No. 356,868In Great Britain July 14, 1939 7 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for separating heavy gases fromlight gases, dust and other suspended matter from air, steam or othergas or vapour, e. g. for separating sulphur gases or other heavy gasesor suspended matter from flue gases or dust from air and the object ofthe invention is to provide improved constructions or arrangements ofseparators which are compact, of a high efiiciency, capable of easymanufacture and in which parts liable to erosion can be easily andcheaply replaced.

According to the invention apparatus for separating gases of differentdensities or for separating suspended matter from air, steam or othergas or vapour is provided wherein the gas or vapour to be treated iscaused to flow over the surfaces of cooperating partitions or diaphragmseach provided with a large number of small openings, the partitions ordiaphragms being of annular shape and forming a separating wallbetweenan annular separating chamber for the gas or vapour to be treated and anannular receiving chamber for clean gas or vapour.

In order to promote the separation of heavy gases from light gases orsuspended matter from gas or vapour which passes through the openings inthe said partition or diaphragm, the latter is preferably constructed sothat the surface areas between the openings on the side facing theparent stream form parts of a continuous surface and means is providedfor maintaining the gas or vapour on that side of the partition inmotion in a direction substantially parallel with the said surfaces.

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing which illustratesdiagrammatically and by way of example, constructions according to theinvention and in which:

1 is a sectional elevation of a rotary type of separator,

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a detail showing the method of forming the slots in thediaphragms, and

Fig. 4 is a view showing the preferred formation of the slots.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the apparatusconsists of an outer casing 1 within which is a separating chamber 2formed by means of two partitions or diaphragms 3, each having a numberof openings 4 formed as hereinafter described with the pressed outportions 5 acting as louvres for deflecting the gas or vapour andchanging its direction of motion.

Each diaphragm 3 is of frusto-conical shape as shown in Fig. 2, the saiddiaphragms being mounted co-axially so as to form between them theannular separating chamber 2 of substantially triangular cross section.A rotary impeller 6 is mounted concentrically within the chamber 2 on ashaft 1 so as to deliver tangentially into the said chamber and thus toimpart a rapid rotary motion to the gas or vapour. The impeller 6 isarranged to draw in the gas or vapour for treatment axially through asuction opening 8 disposed at one side of the casing I.

The flow of gas or vapour within the separating chamber 2 is controlledby means of scrollshaped deflecting plates 9 the edges of which, wherethey make contact with the inner walls as the diaphragms are sealed inthis form of construction by means of angle members, indicated at 9a inFigs. 1 and 2, which prevent escape of concentrated dust through theadjacent openings in the diaphragm into the clean gas side. The plates 9extend spirally around the chamber 2 and thus form inner volutes forreceiving the gas or vapour from the impeller 6 and outer volutepassages for delivering the dirty gas or vapour through a narrowperipheral opening it] by which the separating chamber 2 communicateswith a receiving chamber II for dirty gas or vapour. The said receivingchamber II is of volute form and communicates with a tangential deliveryconduit l2 from which the dirty gas or vapour with the dust or othermatter suspended therein is carried away to any desired point and forthis purpose the clean air outlet l4 may be provided with a damper orthrottle for adjusting the pressure inside the separating chamber 2 toincrease as required the available pressure head in the conduit I2 sothat the separated heavy gases, dust or other suspended matter may beconveyed pneumatically to a remote point without the need for a furtherblower to effect the conveyance.

The conduit I2 may discharge into a settling chamber adjacent to orremote from the apparatus from which the dirty gas or vapour may bedischarged to atmosphere of a portion or the whole of it may berecirculated through the apparatus after it has been freed from aportion of its dust content by settling, and for the purposes ofrecirculation a conduit 39 may be provided between the settling chamberand the inlet 8 to the apparatus. The recirculating conduit 39 may beprovided with a damper or throttle 40 to regulate the quantity of gasesrecirculated.

It will be noted that because the separating chamber 2 is of triangularsection, the cross section of the outer volute formed by the scrollshaped deflecting plates 9, as aforesaid, progressively diminishesalongthe path of the gas or vapour not only by reason of the spiralshape of the scrolls but also by reason of the fact that the separatingchamber gradually becomes narrower towards the periphery thereof.Instead of emplaying three deflecting plates 9 as shown, they may bereplaced by a single scroll shaped plate or by any other desired number.

The separating chamber 2 and the volute chamber II for receiving thedirty gas or vapour as aforesaid are enclosed within a further volutechamber l3 into which the clean gas or vapour is received through theopenings 4 and from which the clean gas or vapour is delivered through atangential outlet I 4 to a conduit leading to any desired point.

The partitions or diaphragms 3 having the openings 4 for the passage ofclean-gas or vapour may be made of sheet metal and the openings may bepressed out therefrom, the pressedout parts 5 being formed on the cleangas side of the diaphragm and being set either at right angles to thediaphragm or at an acute angle thereto. These pressed-out portions arearranged on the forward sides of the slots in relation to the directionof motion (indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1) of the dirty gas or vapourso that the gas or vapour which passes through the slots impingesagainst the pressed-out portions 5 and is deflected thereby. This causesa reversal of the direction of rotation of the gas or vapour after ithas passedthrough the slots and the volutes hereinafter described arearranged accordingly, the outer volute chamber ll being of aprogressively increasing area in a direction opposite to the innervolutes formed by the plates 9.

One of the advantages of this form of construction is that during thepassage of the gases through the separating chamber, the separation ofthe dust or heavy gases in the manner described is assisted bycentrifugal force arising from the rotary motion of the said gases andsuspended matter which promotes the collection and retention of thesuspended particles and heavier gases by the receiving chamber H. Inthis form of construction, the advantages of both the impact andcentrifugal types of separator are thus incorporated in the oneapparatus.

The openings 4 in the diaphragm are preferably in the form of elongatedslots, as shown, each of which extends in the direction shown at 4 or inthe reverse direction shown at to. The slots are, therefore, inclinedsomewhat to the radial direction since the stream of gas or vapour hasan outward radial component of motion in addition to the rotationimparted -by the impeller.

The preferred method of forming the slots in the diaphragmsisillustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing. Fig. 3 shows the movableand stationary die members 36 and 37 which are used to form the slotsand deflector plates. The shape of the portions pressed out is shown inFig. 4 and in order to prevent the escape of gas around the pressed-outparts at the end of the slots, the material of the diaphragm is slitalong one long side only and not across the ends so that the ends 38 ofthe pressed-out parts form cowl-like portions.

I claim:

1. A separating apparatus comprising an annular separating chamber forthe gas or vapour to be treated, an annular receiving chamber for theclean gas or vapour, a plurality of cooperating annular coned diaphragmsforming separating walls between said chambers, and a large number ofsmall openings formed in said diaphragms, means for causing the gas orvapour to undergo a rotary movement in said receiving chamber, meansoperably associated with said openings for causing the gas or vapour toundergo an abrupt change in direction as it passes therethrough, and anannular receiving chamber for the dirty gas or vapour surrounding theperipheries of said diaphragms and into which the dirty gas or vapourenters after the clean gas or vapour has passed through the saidopenings.

2. A separating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the surfaceareas between the openings on the side of each diaphragm facing theparent stream of gas form parts of a continuous surface, and means areprovided to maintain the flow of gas on that side of the diaphragm inmotion in a direction substantially parallel with the said surfaces.

3. A separating apparatus comprising a casing, a pair of annulardiaphragms insaid casing converging towards their outer edges, anddividing said easing into a parent gas chamber and a clean gas chamber,a plurality of slots in each of said diaphragms formed by pressed outportions which project on the clean gas sides 01' the diaphragm andcause the gas as it passes therethrough to undergo an abrupt change ofdirection, a central inlet in said parent gas chamber for dirty gas, anoutlet for dirty gas between the outer edges of said diaphragms, and anannular outlet conduit located at the outer edges of said diaphragms andcommunicating with said outlet.

4. In a separating-apparatus, a casing, a pair of diaphragms oftruncated conical shape coaxially mounted in said casing in facingrelationship, with their bases in spaced apart relationship to provide aparent gas chamber of annular shape having a peripheral annular outlet,a dirty gas chamber of annular shape surrounding the peripheries of saiddiaphragms and disposed in fluid communication with said outlet, thecasing exteriorly of said diaphragms defining a clean gas chamber, aplurality of openings in said diaphragms, and means for causing the gasin said parent gas'chamber to circulate and discharge clean gas throughsaid openings into said clean gas chamber.

5. In a separating apparatus, a casinghaving therein two coneddiaphragms forming a parent gas chamber between them, a dirty gasreceiving chamber surrounding said diaphragms, and a clean gas receivingchamber enclosing said diaphragms and dirty gas receiving chamber, aplurality of openings in said diaphragms having cowl-like portionsprojecting toward said clean gas chamber, each of said openings beingformed by making a single slit and pressing out the material at one sideof the slit to provide an opening whose area decreases to zero at eachend of the slit, and means for causinggas in the parent chamber to movesubstantially parallel to the surfaces of said diaphragms in a directionopposite to said cowl-like portions, for efiecting centrifugalseparation of solids as the gas passes through aid openings andundergoes an abrupt change in direction.

6. In a separating apparatus, a casing, a pair of diaphragms oftruncated'conical shape coaxially mounted in said casing in facingrelationship, with their bases in spaced apart relationship to provide aparent gas chamber of annular shape having a peripheral annular outlet,a plurality of scroll plates disposed in said parent gas chamber andsealed at their edges by said diaphragms, each plate being of voluteform for directing the gas circularly and outwardly, a dirty gas chamberof annular shape surrounding the peripheries of said diaphragms anddisposed in fluid communication with said outlet, the casing exteriorlyof said diaphragms defining a clean gas chamber, a plurality of openingsin said diaphragms, and means for causing the gas in said parent gaschamber to circulate and discharge clean gas through said openings intosaid clean gas chamber.

'7. In separating apparatus, a casing, a pair of diaphragms of truncatedconical shape coaxially mounted in said casing in facing relationship,with their bases in spaced apart relationship to provide a parent gaschamber of annular shape having a peripheral annular outlet, a dirty gaschamber of annular shape surrounding the peripheries of said diaphragmsand disposed in fluid communication with said outlet, the casingexteriorly of said diaphragms defining a clean gas chamber, said cleangas chamber being provided with a tangentially directed dischargeportion and said dirty gas chamber being provided with a tangentialdischarge portion extending in the opposite direction from said cleangas discharge portion, a plurality of openings in said dia 15 phragms,and means for causing the gas in said

